Welcome to the Year 8 English Wiki Page

Year 8 Course Outline

Students in this level are provided with a balanced program, tied together by the three strands of language, literature and literacy. Student outcomes are designed around the receptive and productive modes. Pupils are encouraged to use prior knowledge and text strategies to interpret and evaluate texts by reflecting on the validity of content, credibility of sources and finding evidence in the text for the author's point of view. In particular, students are guided to explore and explain the way authors combine different modes and media in creating texts and the impact on the viewer. Opportunities for creative writing and poetry are provided with a focus on the planning, drafting and editing process. The language component of the course is desgned to enhance an understanding of how language has evolved over time and how language can be persuasive and reflect a diversity of viewpoints.

Staff 2016

Andrea Digby
Sam Dight
Sarah Dixon
Jacqui Franks
Debbie Mantzandis - leader
Wendy Steel

2016

Term 1
Edward Scissorhands
Word Wizard - sentence types, paragraphs, revision of Year 7??
Sp
Reading - Gothic literature - include short films. Movie reviews. REal life non fiction ghosts?


CAI - Text REsponse
CAI - Oral

Term 2
Coraline - use reading strategies with that. Sp, Word Wizard - use material from Coraline - figurative language for generating mood.
CAI Creative Response

Term 3
Things a Map won't show you
Only two pieces to compare
Only a Game and Cloud Busting - ?

CAI - Writing Folio - Leaflet
CAI - Comparative Essay

Term 4
REporting The News
Look more at persuasive news - current affairs and opinion pieces.

CAI - Oral - Change statement of reports - This should be a persuasive talk
CAI - Writing Folio - letters about homework (option- news articles as well)
Reading and Word Wizard - use news materials

Some classes may wish to pick out some elements of More Than One English at the end of the year. This unit is no longer compulsory.

Unit 1 Edward Scissorhands

CAI - Text Response
CAI - Oral






Other Materials






Unit 2 - Coraline

Creative Response = CAI. Unit below has been adjusted for creative response work.





Other Materials








Materials not relevant to 2016










http://prezi.com/rlaka3w-h5bs/copy-of-coraline-by-neil-gaiman/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy= prezi by year 8 students in 2013
http://www.theguardian.com/books/interactive/2014/may/09/reading-gothic-novel-pictures


http://vimeo.com/29733360

Unit 3 - Things a Map Won't Show You

CAI = Text Response Comparative Essay - Only a Game and Cloud Busting.
CAI = Writing Folio - Brochure - Guide to....







Other Materials



http://english.answers.com/sentence-structure/the-purpose-of-a-sentence-declarative-imperative-interrogatory-and-exclamatory
http://reconciliaction.org.au/nsw/education-kit/stolen-generations/ = website for information on indigeous australia - links to Cloudbusting story
Exploring form of poetry links to Ice Cream Headache and Aboriginal Actors is a news article about racism in Melbourne right now - links to Cloudbusting Story. All others above relate to Cloudbusting.
= comprehension from COT
http://www.sbs.com.au/firstaustralians/ = episode 5 has been downloaded and put in library catalogue
http://splash.abc.net.au/media/-/m/1422747/a-poetic-journey-through-personal-identity
http://splash.abc.net.au/home?WT.tsrc=Email&WT.mc_id=Innovation_Innovation-Splash|Secondary_email|20150708#!/media/512492/dust-echoes - animations of Arnhem Land stories

Unit 4 - Reporting the News (Support Materials)

CAI - Writing Folio - Persuasive Letter (and possibly news articles)
CAI - Oral -News Report





Other Materials


Modified unit for students with individual needs
This pdf is the article about news gathering
This pdf is an example persuasive letter about homework
This is the second page of the example persuasive letter

MNT used this template
for "Reporting the News" and the online media



http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-choose-your-news-damon-brown = a VERY HELPFUL ANIMATION about news today and how it comes from mutliple sources and how to find the news and read the news so you are objectively informed - also has lesson ideas.
http://splash.abc.net.au/digibook/-/c/1190931/news-reporting?WT.tsrc=Email&WT.mc_id=Innovation_Innovation-Splash|Secondary_email|20150218 = a series of short films on how to make a news item of three minutes.
Above = Examples of how to write a news article - including students' work before and after amendment from teacher




http://www.alfiekohn.org/hmaudio.htm = web site with American talking persuasively about how homework is not a good thing
http://splash.abc.net.au/media/-/m/104210/feeding-the-24-hour-television-news-cycle
http://splash.abc.net.au/media/-/m/1190958/how-to-make-a-news-report - abc splash has a whole section on the news - looks good though haven't used - WHI


I used this template
for "Reporting the News" and the online media
http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,308943282001_2007270,00.html